Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric



April 11, 1939'. A, CHAMBERS 2,154,149

APPARATUS FOR FORMING SPACING BENDS IN WIRE FABRIC Filed Oct. 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES I Q64 212 BY fiwfiwr aaq 9 ATTORNEYS.

April 1 1, 1.93%. A CHAMBERS APPARATUS FOR FORMING SPACING BENDS IN WIRE FABRIC Filed Oct. 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR FORMING SPACING BENDS IN WIRE FABRIC Application October 4, 1938, Serial No. 233,220

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating wire fabric which is employed as a reinforcing member for plaster or the like, and more particularly is concerned with apparatus for forming spacing bends in such fabric.

Heretofore machines have been provided for forming spacing bends in reinforcing wire fabric comprising longitudinal strand and transverse stay wires, but in known machines the spacing bends have been made on every stay or strand wire of the fabric so that the width or length of the fabric is reduced by the formation of the bends. In other words, if a stay wire were formed with a bend between two strand wires the strand wires were moved toward each other a slight amount which compensated for the outward movement or'ofisetting of the stay wire to form the bend. Thus if every stay wire was not provided with a bend between the same strand wires the strand wires were not retained in parallel position and the wire fabric was distorted. Accordingly, in known apparatus for, forming spacing bends in wire fabric every transverse stay wire has been formed with spacing bends in longitudinal alignment with spacing bends formed in every other stay wire. This longitudinal alignment of the spacing bends has been found to provide a zone or line of weakness in the reinforcing fabric.

The spacing bends have been put into the wire fabric by cooperating dies positioned on opposite sides of the plane of the wire fabric and first moved into engagement with the stay wires near the center of the fabric and with other pairs of cooperating dies then being progressively moved into engagement with transversely spaced portions of the same stay wire to form spacing bends progressively from the center of the wire fabric outwardly to the lateral edges thereof. This progressive forming of the spacing bends permitted the shrinking of the width of the fabric as heretofore described.

It is the general object of my invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difiiculties of and objections to known apparatus for forming spacing bends in reinforcing wire fabric by the provision of improved apparatus wherein the spacing bends are formed in the fabric without altering the over-all dimensions of the fabric.

Another object of my invention is the provision of apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric of the type described wherein such bends can be positioned at any desired longitudinally and laterally spaced points in the fabric and whereby longitudinally extending zones or lines of weakness in the fabric are avoided.

Another object of my invention is to provide wire fabric having spacing bends in either the strand or the stay wires, usually the stay wires, and in which the spacing bends are stretched and cold-worked and are of increased strength.

The foregoing and other objects of my invention are achieved by the provision of apparatus including means for supporting the wire fabric and for advancing it step by step, a plurality of dies mounted on one side of the plane of travel of the fabric, and a plurality of dies cooperating with the first-named dies and mounted on the opposite side of the plane of travel of the fabric. Means are provided for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, and each pair of cooperating dies is shaped to form a spacing bend in a wire of the fabric by stretching and cold-working the wire. Means are associated with each pair of cooperating dies for holding the oppositely extending wires of the fabric adjacent the bend the same distance apart before and after bending, and completing the combination are means for clamping on the fabric at the end of the area in which the bends are made during the movement of the dies together whereby the fabric is held still further against change in area.

For a better understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. l is an end elevation partly broken away of one apparatus incorporating the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the fabric-feeding drum being removed to permit the structure of the parts to be more clearly seen; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which each pair of cooperating dies operates on the wire fabric.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 indicates a frame carrying a drum l2 and roller I i which support a length of wire fabric marked W and which is adapted to be moved forward step by step by the rotation of the drum l2 through the known mechanism contained within the frame l0. Since the mechanism in the frame [0 forms no part of the present invention, except in the relation described, and, because it is old per se, it will not be described in detail.

Mounted on the frame If! to one side of the plane of travel of the wire fabric W are a plurality of dies 20 which are adjustably carried in suitable brackets 22. The frame Hi also carries a plurality of cooperating dies 24 which are slidably received by brackets 26 for horizontal reciprocating movement toward and from the dies 20. Each die 24 carries a cam follower 28 which is engaged by a cam 3|] carried by a shaft 32 and adapted to be driven by way of gear 34, pinion 36, and chain 38 from shaft 40 extending into the frame l and synchronized with the mechanism for advancing the wire fabric W step by step between the dies.

As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, each die 20 is' aligned with a die 24 so that a plurality of pairs of cooperating dies are provided. The ends of the dies are spaced as shown so that upon relative movement of the dies together on opposite sides of a wire in the fabric W a spacing bend of triangular shape is formed.

An important part of my invention is to hold the wire fabric W against change in size during the formation of the spacing bends therein. To this end the die marked 200. at each end of the bracket 22 is formed with a flat clamping face, as shown in Fig. 2, which face has a vertically extending groove 44 formed therein and adapted to receive the boundary or selvage wires of the fabric. The dies marked 24a at the end of the bracket 26 which cooperate with the flat-faced dies 20a are likewise formed with flat faces so that the selvage wires of the wire fabric are clamped into the groove 44 between each pair of end dies 29a and 24a so that during the formation of the spacing bends in the wire fabric the area of the fabric can not be changed.

I further form each die 24 of such a width that, as seen in Fig. 2, the die passes closely between the strand wires of the fabric adjacent the stay wire having the spacing bends formed therein.

Thus, in the operation of the apparatus the wire fabric W is advanced one step between the dies 20 strand wires in the grooves M.

and 24 when they are spaced apart. The fabric is stopped with one stay wire in alignment be tween the dies which are then driven together by the rotation of the earns 30 so that, first, the end dies Zfia and 24a cooperate to clamp the selvage The continued movement of the shaft 32 carrying the cams 30 forces the dies 24 between longitudinally extending strand wires in the area of the single transversely extending aligned stay wire and the continued movement together of the dies forms a spacing bend in the stay wire at a plurality of transversely spaced points. The grip of the clamping dies 20a and 24a prevents the inward movement of the strand wires, and further each pair of strand wires adjacent the spacing bends is held between the dies 24 so that the result is that the spacing bends are formed by stretching and cold-working the stay wires and this is done without changing the fixed parallel relation of the strand wires.

The rotation of the cam shaft 32 now allows the dies 24 to move away from the fabric and the wire fabric is now fed forward another step and the operation just described is repeated. By suitable and known adjustments in the apparatus the spacing bends can be formed in every second, third or other selected number of stay wires. However, I preferably form the spacing bends in every third stay wire and, as has been diagrammatically indicated in the drawings, the spacing bends are formed transversely between every third and fourth strand wire, although this positioning of the spacing joints can readily be changed by rearranging the position of the bendforming dies.

While I have specifically illustrated and described my invention as being used to form spacing bends in the stay wires of a wire fabric, which is the preferred practice, it will be understood that I can form the spacing bends in the strand wires instead, or in both the strand and stay wires, and in each case utilize the advantages of my improved bend-forming apparatus. Moreover, the exact type of means for supporting and advancing the fabric and for operating the bend-forming dies can be widely varied, and I may make the operation continuous rather than intermittent by forming the dies as parts of rotary wheels which are rotated into and out of relation with the continuously moving wire fabric as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

From the foregoing it will be recognized that the objects of my invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric. The wire fabric is not changed in size and the spacing bends can be formed at any points in the fabric desired. The strength of the bends is increased by the stretching and cold-working of the wires in the forming dies, and zones or lines of weakness are eliminated in the finished fabric.

While in accordance with the patent statutes I have specifically illustrated and described one particular embodiment of my invention, it should be appreciated that my invention is not to be limited thereto or thereby but is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric used as a reinforcing member for plaster and the like comprising means for supporting the wire fabric, a plurality of pairs of cooperating dies, means for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, and means for holding the fabric so that the dies stretch and cold-work at least one wire of the fabric to form spacing bends therein.

2. Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric used as a reinforcing member for plaster and the like comprising means for supporting and advancing the wire fabric, a plurality of dies mounted to one side of the plane of travel of the fabric, a plurality of dies cooperating with the first-named dies and mounted on the opposite side of the plane of travel of the fabric, means for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, each pair of cooperating dies being shaped to form a spacing bend in a wire of the wire fabric, and means for holding the fabric so that the spacing bends are put into the wire by stretching and cold-working the wire.

3. Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric used as a reinforcing member for plaster and the like comprising means for supporting the wire fabric, a plurality of pairs of cooperating dies, means for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, each pair of cooperating dies being shaped to form a spacing bend in a wire of the wire fabric, and means for holding the fabric against change in size or distortion during the formation of the spacing bends.

4. Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric used as a reinforcing member for plaster and the like comprising means for supporting the wire fabric, a plurality of pairs of cooperating dies, means for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, each pair of\ cooperating dies being shaped to form a spacing bend in a wire of the wire fabric, means associated with each pair of cooperating dies for holding the oppositely extending wires of the fabric adjacent the bend the same distance apart before and after bending, and further means for clamping during the movement of the dies together on the Wires at the boundary of the area of the fabric being formed with spacing bends.

5. Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric used as a reinforcing member for plaster and the like comprising means for supporting the wire fabric, a plurality of pairs of dies, means for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, each pair of cooperating dies being shaped to form a spacing bend in a stay wire of the wire fabric, means associated with each pair of cooperating dies for holding the strand wires of the fabric adjacent the bend the same distance apart before and after bending, and means for clamping on the selvage strand wires during the movement of the dies together.

6. Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric used as a reinforcing member for plaster and the like comprising means for supporting the wire fabric and for advancing it step by step, a plurality of dies mounted to one side of the plane of travel of the fabric, a plurality of dies cooperating with the first-named dies and mounted on the opposite side of the plane of travel of the fabric, means for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, each pair of cooperating dies being shaped to form a spacing bend in a stay wire of the wire fabric, means associated with each pair of cooperating dies for holding the strand wires of the fabric adjacent the bend the same distance apart before and after bending, and means for clamping on the selvage strand wires during the movement of the dies together.

'7. Apparatus for forming spacing bends in wire fabric used as a reinforcing member for plaster and the like comprising means for supporting the wire fabric, a plurality of dies mounted to one side of the plane of travel of the fabric, a plurality of dies cooperating with the first-named dies and mounted on the opposite side of the plane of travel of the fabric, means for effecting relative movement of the dies toward and from each other to engage the wire fabric between the dies, each pair of cooperating dies being shaped to form a spacing bend in a stay wire of the wire fabric, and means associated with each pair of cooperating dies for holding the strand wires of the fabric adjacent the bend the same distance apart before and after bending.

ALEXANDER CHAMBERS. 

